


Somewhere over the rainbow

by Bill_Longbow



Category: Captain America (Comics), Iron Man (Comics), Marvel 616, Marvel Noir
Genre: 1940s, Alternate Universe - Noir, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Don't copy to another site, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Noir / 616 crossover, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-12-26 11:05:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18281510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bill_Longbow/pseuds/Bill_Longbow
Summary: The man behind him was well hidden, standing in even deeper twilight than Tony. He only knew he was there because Tony'd been watching him the night before and had kept an eye out. The most graceful of the dancers, nimble and strong, his laughter loud enough to be heard above the music. A smirk that spelled trouble. Young.“No need to be shy.” Tony turned around to smile at his shadow, and didn't miss the way the young man almost flinched before he collected himself. Tony was glad he didn't fall into any cliches like asking him how he knew he was there, just nodded and stepped out of the shadows. The man was even younger than Tony thought. Much younger than him, but for a look in his eyes that signified he’d seen too much. The first victim of war was innocence, right?Bucky and Tony are helpless but to fall for each other against the backdrop of war.





	Somewhere over the rainbow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MassiveSpaceWren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MassiveSpaceWren/gifts).



> Written for Massivespacewren's 616 winteriron challenge!
> 
> I've been chewing on a Noir hurt/comfort fic for a while now, and this proved to be just the backstory I needed! Thank you to [ Menatiera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Menatiera/) for cheering me on and to [ FreyaS](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreyaS/) for being an awesome beta.
> 
> Please let me know what you think!

Tony leaned over the balustrade looking down on the dance floor. The heat up here was oppressive, but it was quiet. Dark. The perfect spot to watch instead of being watched.

There had been a time when he could've been found down there. The dance moves were different back then, just as the dresses, just as the mood. Tony had danced in joy, in celebration of life, of beauty and sex. The youngsters down there danced in defiance. They danced because it was a sign they were still alive, that they weren't beaten yet.

Tony sighed. He wished it could be simple like that. _Salto ergo sum_.

He downed his whiskey and relished the burn. He wasn't dead yet either. Even if Jarvis had to charge the pump every other day now, he still had some life in him, and he intended to use it well tonight.

The man behind him was well hidden, standing in even deeper twilight than him. Tony only knew he was there because he'd been watching him the night before and had kept an eye out. The most graceful of the dancers, nimble and strong, his laughter loud enough to be heard above the music. A smirk that spelled trouble. Young.

“No need to be shy.” Tony turned around to smile at his shadow, and didn't miss the way the young man almost flinched before he collected himself. Tony was glad he didn't fall into any cliches like asking him how he knew he was there, just nodded and stepped into the light. The man was even younger than Tony thought. Much younger than him, but there was a look in his eyes that signified he’d seen too much. The first victim of war was innocence, right?

“I need your help,” the young man stated. His voice was clear and unwavering, but Tony could tell something was different. He held himself stiffly, standing at parade rest.

Tony gestured at the empty seats at a table behind him, but the young man shook his head.

“There’s no time. My friend… they have him.”

The man looked even younger in his anguish, and Tony almost took a step forward to comfort him. It wasn’t his place. He didn’t know who this man was, nor how he had found Tony, but he needed more than a hug from him.

“They’re not staging a rescue.” The young man clenched his jaw in anger and disappointment, the fist of his one good arm clenching and unclenching at his side. Tony knew it wasn’t for lack of trying on his part. “Colonel Phillips said you were his best hope.”

Tony nodded. Phillips and him went back a long way, him and Jarvis even longer. It certainly explained how the man had found him.

“Lead the way,” he nodded his head in direction of the stairs. The look of relief on the young man’s face almost made his heart beat faster.

The young man stepped closer and held out his hand. “Bucky.”

“Tony.”

  
  


They found him strapped to a table, half delirious. Fading wounds, too numerous to heal; an IV with who knew what attached with a metal shackle to his arm. Between the two of them they managed to carry him through the hallways littered with bodies. They worked well together, barely needed more than a word to make quick work of their opposition, and they were in and out with the Captain before daybreak.

  
  


A dingy apartment in a bad part of town, deliberately nondescript. Fading colours on the walls and couch, no pictures, no art, a few books. A carefully crafted poor man's house, but from one of the kitchen cupboards was filled with medical supplies, and the door of the broom closet hid a bedroom.  

They took care of the Captain during the night and the better part of the next day. It was hard on Tony to see him suffer. To see _them_ suffer. Being helpless hit Bucky hard and Tony had taken to recounting some of his adventures. It was easy to talk in the dark, leaning against each other on the couch as they held their vigil. Easy to share the truth behind Marvel’s adventures. His secret wasn’t as large as the one these two soldiers shared.

Marvel’s adventures were designed to keep the public, and not so public, eye away from Tony's real exploits. Feed people enough adventures, mess with the timeline and exaggerate his endeavours, but come up with enough relicts to keep people guessing if you’re for real or not. Sometimes he picked up interesting stuff in the name of Marvel’s, but usually it was either junk or only valuable to a museum’s collection. The true contraband he smuggled were people they rescued from the Nazi’s clutches. People like Abraham Erskine.

In the afternoon Rogers’ fever broke and he opened his eyes, still unfocussed and scared, and it struck Tony again how young the man actually was. The wounds had finally started to heal properly, and after he'd managed to hold down some broth, Tony thought it was time for him to slink off. Safer that way. These were men he could easily get attached to, and he didn’t do that anymore, not after Virgil.

  


Bucky found him again. In a different city, on a different continent. Just as grey and grimy as the last. A supposedly abandoned steel factory suddenly flared to life in what was supposed to be a wasteland. Tony only felt a brief flicker of surprise when the familiar silhouette came closer over the gangway above the factory floor. There came no movement from below, and now he knew why.

“You’re late, mister Stark,” the young man grinned, walking casually with his sniper rifle held loosely in his hands. “I had hoped to do this run together.”

“Your tip?”

In answer Bucky threw a package which Tony grabbed from the air. In it was the stone with strange markings that had supposedly ran the whole factory. The tip had been too good to be true. It had described exactly what Tony had been looking for, a sugar trap, so for once he hadn’t jumped right into his airship, but he had used his resources to verify its claims.

“How did you know?”

Bucky shrugged. “I’m a sniper. I notice things.”

Tony nodded. The sound of the pump had been clearly audible in the silent apartment, when Rogers had finally stopped trashing and fell into a calmer sleep. Tony had thought Bucky was too exhausted by then to notice.

“Next time sign your notes and I’ll come sooner.”

Bucky gave him a grin and a lazy salute. “Sure thing, boss.”

  
  


Smuggling scientists out of a tundra research center. Looking for the power source that fuelled Hydra’s weapons all over Europe. The stone was a bust, but who cared when Bucky whooped in delight and jumped on when Tony let his armour transform into a motorcycle. When they fought so well back to back they could’ve been one. When Bucky slumped against him after they celebrated a successful heist in a bar and let Tony half carry him home. When in the darkness the stories they exchanged were soft sighs and loud moans now.

In between, Tony anxiously waited for another note signed _JBB_ , designing him new rifles, new gear.

 

Until the notes stopped coming.

  


He planned the rescue mission himself. Only the best people he could find, outfitted with _his_ tech, _his_ gear. Hydra had captured them again. Both of them. Deep in the heart of Nazi territory. Tony’s stomach churned at the thought of what they were doing to them. The images of how they had found Steve, vivid in his mind.

Finally, _finally_ , he took his airship, painted black and red to avoid detection, and flew to the castle where he knew they were held.

Just in time!

Of course they had managed to save themselves! Tony watched from his vantage point as he saw Steve and Bucky fly out of the castle on motorcycle of all things, and jump onto a rocket. He was ready to swoop in and take them home.

He watched Steve letting go, yelling at Bucky. Bucky struggling with something on the rocket. A huge explosion. The rocket was rigged to blow. Tony had to hold his arm in front of his face against the glaring light. When he regained his sight it was to a hundred pieces of melted and twisted rocket falling into the sea below.

“We gotta go,” Jarvis yelled, “the armada is coming.”

Strong arms pulled him away from the open door as the zeppelin swooped and made a dive to pick up the captain from the churning waves. He struggled in Rhodey’s grip, but when Rogers crawled inside, looking utterly beaten, Tony knew it was true.

 

Bucky was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Tumblr](http://bill-longbow.tumblr.com) or join us on the 16+ [ Stuckony discord server ](https://discord.gg/jtXcc3n) for all things Tony, Bucky and Steve!


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